Improvement in traction-engines



RJREQUZBAUR.

- TRACTION-ENGINE. V I

Patented Feb. 8, 1876.

sweets-sheen.

N. PETERS, PNOTO-UTHOGRAFHER, WASHXNGTON. D. C.

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

\nVeTttdr Patented Feb. V8, 1875.

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en. emu-2mm. TRACTION-ENGINE NITED STATES v ROBERT OBEUZBAUR, OF WILLIAMSBURG, BROOKLYN, new YORK.

IMPROVEMENT m TRACTION-enemas.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. l 73,l64, dated February 8, 187,6; application filed' July 17, 1874. Y

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT ORE ZRAUR,

- of Williamsburg, in the city of Brooklyn, in

The principal difficulty in transmitting mo-- tion from an engine to the axles and tramwheels-of a street-railroad car is this, that theseveral parts must have liberty to yield to a comparatively irregular and modulating track. The axles have latent play, and move vertically and obliquely ,when'passing over obstructions and defective tram ways. I nth'ese movements they are independent of each other and of the car-body to a limited extent. Without such flexibility in the running-gear a street-car would be constantly liable to be thrown from the track. A rigid transmission of power, as usual upon locomotives and other steam vehicles, particularly when of approximately constant weight,'is, therefore, impracticable for street-cars, and would subject the running-gear, as well as the engine, with all intermediate connections, to destructive strains.

The firstpart of my invention relates to the transmission of the driving-power to the running-gear of a car in such manner that'the usual and necessary play in every direction given to each car-axle independently is not interfered with by the driving power, and vice versa, so that these irregular movements do not impede the normal action of the motor.

The second part provides a means, named the auxiliary drivin g-wheel, for obtaining adhe-,

sion outside of the usual tramways. This hecomes necessary on gradients when the rails tion with two engines, one to eachaxle. Fig.

'2 is asectional elevation of Fig, 1 along the dotted line 1 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view, partly in section, showing, with the variation in the arrangement, several parts of the invention not represented in Figs. 1 and 2. Fig.,4 is an elevation of Fig. 3, the two near tram-wheels being omitted. Figs. 5 and-'6 illustrate the application of the yielding connectionsto the car-axles, and the cushioned transmission of power tothe latter. Figs. 1 and 1* represent details in connection with Fig. 1,- and Fig; 3? in like manner refers to Fig. 3.

In Figs. 1 and 2, A A! represent two'highspeed reciprocating engines,' as per specifica tions' filed in the Patent Office May 26, 1874'.

The rear engineAis arranged to remain contin uously coupled to the axle, while the forward auxiliary engine A is to be coupled only when the power of the other engine is insufficient. A spur-wheel, B, is fastened directly upon each axle, or transmits power through cush ions, as here below described. This spurwheel B is driven by pinion J1 which, by its shaft b has its hearings in the frame G. This frame is in two halves, bolted togetherfas shown, and swings freely upon or around the axle D. Centrally over the pinion I or nearly so, the frame 0 is suspended from the body ot' :the car by a rod, 0 so connected that its point of suspension, 0 upon the car-body may move, relatively to the axle D, in every direc-' tion. The drawing, Fig. "2, represents such yielding to be accomplished by ball-joints at both extremities of link 0 it may be attained otherwise, and by all manner of universal joints. By this arrangement, however much' the car-body, with the pinionfb may swing vertically, the pinion retains its correct dis tance from the axle 1), and" is also confined in all other directions, its carrying-frame O mov-' ing in a true circle only.

As the pinion b does not rise and fall ver tically with the car, but in anarc around the axle D,'and"'a-s' each axle hasiconsiderable in'dependent endwise and othermotions,as named with reference to the engines A A, fastened uponthe car-body, it becomes necessary to i make the connection between the engine and the pinion b of a flexible nature. Fig."1 repat right angles to axle D resents this to be accomplished by a transmission -shaft, *E, incorporating two universal joints, E E part of the joint E and slides endwise in sleeve 6, while rotating with it, by means of a usual tongue'and-groove connection. Suit able lugs on the sleeve c form a part of the universal joint E The pinion b is thus caused to rotate in unison with the engine-shaft without restraint under any oscillations.

Instead of the tongue and groove in e e, applied to the rear engine-connection, a clutch, F, is applied to 0 upon the forward engine-connection, to play into the sleeve 6. As represented in Fig. 1, this clutch, when not coupled by rod f is kept uncoupled by the spring f bearing'upon the clutch-arm f It is evident that the admission of steam to the auxiliary engine, and the coupling of its clutch, must take place simultaneously, or

nearly so, as otherwise the engine would run away without work, or the other engine must drag it. Figs. 1, 2, 1 and 1 represent this to be accomplished as follows: G is a three-way cock, represented upon a larger-scale in Fig.

' 1 The port 1 conveys the steam from the boiler to the cock. The port 2 carries it to the rear engine, and the port 3 to the auxiliary engine A.

. The play of the cock, with its handle g, is a quarter of a revolution, transmitted to it through link K, bell-crank I, and rod H. In the position a of the handle g all the ports are closed. In the position b the ports 1 and 2 are open, admitting full steam to the rear or main engine. While the handle g is moved from b to c the bell-crank 1, simultaneously acting upon the clutch-rod f as shown in Fig. 1, couples the clutch with the sleeve 0, asmore fully explained here below. The motion of the handle g from c to d admits steam to the auxiliary engine also, theclutch during that motion advancing but little into its conpling, as follows: As seen-in Fig. 1", while the bell-crank I moves the rod H from 1 to 2 and the cock-handle g from a to b, admitting steam to the main engine, the slack between the knob f and the clutch-arm f is taken up. The further turning of the bell-crank I forces the spring k against the clutch-arm f and thus couples the engine to the axle. During the last part of the quarter-revolution of the bellcrank I, which admits steam to the auxiliary engine, the arm which carries rod f nearly reaches the point opposite to theclutch-arm f with reference to the pivot of I, as at 3, and therefore moves the clutch-armf through a small space only. Should the driving-lugs on the clutch abut against the corresponding lugs on the sleeve 6, preventing their interlocking, the spring h will be compressed correspondingly, and will force the clutchinto place after the lugs have passed each other.

Instead of the three-way cock G, a slide.- valve, with suitable lap and ports, maybe used. The braking and stopping of the car by The portion 0 of the shaft forms its extreme positions when not otherwise retained by the foot.

Motion may be given to the second axle D, as in Figs. 3 and 4, through two sets of miter- Wheels and a flexible transmission-shaft, E, as described, both axles being provided with the said wheels B b and frame 0, operating in the manner set forth. 7

Figs. 5 and 6 represent another application I of the said flexible and yielding transmission:

shafts E. In this case, instead of the spurgearing, bevel-gearing is used, one engine driving both axles.

It being of the utmost importance that the machinery propelling a street-car, when em: bodied with the passenger-carrying car, he of the least possible weight consistent with safety, the gearing may be made very light by' avoiding shocks upon it, by means of cushions fWlllOh intervene at some point between the engine and axles. The mode of accomplishing this is represented in Figs. 1, 2, and 5. A hubbed disk, R, with one or two inwardlyprojecting lugs, 1' 1', is keyed upon the axle.

The wheel B has two ribs, Z, on its inside, and runs loosely upon the hub of the disk R. Between the lugs 1' 1' of the disk R and these ribs Z, suitable pieces of rubber, Y, or other elastic mediums, are introduced, so that the force passing from the engine to the axle has to be transmitted through these cushions Y the latter being between and inclosed by the said disk It and wheel B; or the cushions, within suitable casings, may be placed upon the flexible transmission-shaft E.

Experience has shown that the adhesion of the tram-wheels upon their track is reduced to less than five per cent. of the imposed weight when the track is wet and slimy.

It has been found necessary under such circumstances to sand the down-track on a grade of less than five per cent. to prevent the too rapid descent of a car with the brake applied to all its wheels.

As it requires more adhesive force to ascend a gradient than to'sufficiently retard a car in descending the same, it becomes evident that with gradients of four per cent., and over, the adhesive force under such circumstances is too small, even when the driving the adhesive force whenever slipping of the J tram-wheels requires it. Todo thisitis necessary to be able to depress and elevate such a wheel at will, as well as to give it a sufficient pressure upon the pavement to prevent its slipping, and also to give it such elasticity or yielding adaptation that it may adjust itself readily to undulations and obstructions in an d upon the pavement.

The auxiliary drivin g-wheel P isrepresented in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4. An eccentric, S,which forms the axis for the revolving portion P,

turns freely upon the car-axle D, and is held in position by a rod, S, the latter having such amount of throw as to give the eccentric about an eighth of a ,revolution from its level-position downward, and somewhat more upward. The rim S is of the same diameter with the tram-wheels. When the eccentric is in the position shown in Fig. 4, the auxiliary driving-wheel is of of the pavement, and about one and' 'three-fourths inch above the level of the track, the eccentricity being about two and one-half inches. Giving a quarter-revolution to the eccentric toward the left, Fig. 4, would bring the periphery of the auxiliary driving-wheel the same distance of one and threefourths inch below, the

level of the track; it therefore has a range 'of over three and one-half inches to do the intended service. At the lowest position of the I being intended to be about one thousand pounds, it requires, with the leverage shown, a steam-cylinder, U, of about two inches in diameter of bore. This steam-cylinder has a long piston, connected by a rod through a suitable stuffing-box to the said eccentric rod S. A pipe from each-end of thiscylinder leads to a usual four-way cock, Q, or to an equivalent slide or other valve, from which a pipe leads to the steam-space of the boiler, and another pipe carries away the escapesteam from the cylinder U. This four-way cock may be under the car-floor, as shown, or alongside .of the boiler on the platform, in the latter case to be directly operated by hand. If under or near the floor, it may be controlled by a hand-lever or by a foot-motion,

as represented in Fig. 4.

When the auxiliary driving-wheel is not in use, the normal position of the foot-piece l is up, as represented, and is kept in that position by the spring 2. The rod of this piece 1 is connected by arm 3 and link 4 to the four-waycock arm 5. In this position steam is admitted to the left-hand end of the piston in cylinder U, the right-hand end being connected with the escape. .The wheel is thus supported and retained in its uppermost position. When the service of the wheelis required the piece 1 is pressed down by the foot, and maybe kept down by a heel-catch, 6, forced into position by a spring, 7. As there will generally be a, quantity of condensed water in the cylinder and pipes, the piston and stuffing-box will be packed by water, which the better prevents leakage.

In using this auxiliary driving wheel it is a necessary condition that its periphery roll over its track in harmony with the advance of the tram-wheels, as otherwise either the one or the other will have to slip, causing great waste of powerand wear of rails and wheels; Simply revolving the auxiliary driving-wheel by a drag-link from the'adjoiningtram-wheel, or from a disk moving with the axle, will not answer, because the auxiliary driving-wheel and the tram-wheel have different centers,

which in this manner would cause accelerated and retarded motion either in the periphery of the tram-wheels or of the auxiliary drivingwheel during each revolution, according to the eccentricity of the auxiliary driving-wheel, and to an extent so great-as to forbid giving it motion in that manner. r In. Figs. 1 and 2 the auxiliary drivingwheel is carried by two links, 1 and 2, at

right angles to each other, each ofa length equal to the distance between the center of the auxiliary driving-wheel and the center of the axle D. Their operation is bestunderstood by supporting the axles of the auxiliary driving-wheel and of the tram-wheels a considerable distance. apart, as the axles of the driving-wheels of a locomotive coupled by two connecting-rods in the usual manner.- By supposing the centers of these driving-wheels to approach each other until their connectingrodsbeconie short enough topass the hubs of the wheels, and in length equal to the dis- .tance between said centers, their action and theircapacity to pass each other will become clear.

In Fig. 1 these two links land 2 are pivoted to'a disk, 3, keyed u'pontheaxle of the car. In that position the links do not suffer from mud carried by the tram-w-heel. The peripheries of the auxiliary driving-wheel and of the tram-wheels thus move with equal velocity, as would be strictly required if both moved over an equal track. This, however, is generally uot the case, the tramwheels moving over a straight rail, while the auxiliary driving-wheel must roll over a roughpavement. For perfect action, therefore, the arrangement should be so that the periphery velocities can adjust themselves, in order that the one wheel cannot obstruct the advance of the other. This may be done by transmitting the power from the axle to the disk named through cushions, in the manner above described or it may bedone' by an elastic cable of rubber suitably fastened upon the axle at one end, and to the auxiliary driving-wheel at the other. A more substantial way of accomplishing this is attained by the combination of the well-known compensating-gear with the auxiliary driving-wheel represented in Fig. 3, the manner of its application being made the subject of a separate application for patent. The periphery or rim S of the auxiliary driving-wheel is made separately and in sections, so as to admit of removal and renewal of the wornportions, and, when desira' ble, to admit ofa change of rims to suit the state of the track for instance, during usual wet weather sectional rubber blocks upon the rim, suitably confined between two disks with serrated peripheries smaller in diameter than the rubber, would obtain a sufficient hold between the'paving-stones by the pressure upon them of about a thousand pounds, and would render the use of the auxiliary driving-wheel noiseless. Forming the outer portions of such rubber blocks with a mixture of sand would increase their adhesion.

When the track is covered with ice or solid snow, metal projections shaped to take hold upon the ice would be required upon the wheel-rim. The diagonal ribs represented on the drawings are intended for general use in any weather. To free the interstices from clogged snow they are made highest and narrowest in the middle, so that the pressure upon the wheel will force out such snow upon the sides.

Evidently all that is required of this auxiliary driving-wheelis merely to add adhesion to that obtained by the tram-wheels.

The casing 0 fastened upon the swinging frame 0, Fig. 3, incloses the gear-wheels B N, so as to exclude dust and obstructions therefrom.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination of axle D, flexible shaft E, intermediate gearing, and driving-engine A, connected with the flexible shaft, the whole being constructed substantially as described, whereby the engine transmits the drivingpower to the axle through the medium of the flexible shaft, as and for the object specified.

2. The spur-wheel B, mounted on the axle D, in combination with the pinion'b, its shaft b the flexible shaft E, and the engine A, the whole being constructed to operate substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. The combination, with a tramway-car, of an auxiliary driving-wheel and a mechanism, substantially as described, for elevating and depressingthe axis of the driving-wheel, as set forth, whereby the said wheel can be brought in contact with the ground to aid in propelling the car.

4. The combination, with a car-axle, D, and an auxiliary driving-wheel, P, of an eccentric, S, fori'ning the axis of the wheel, and constructed to be elevated and depressed, as and for the purpose described.

5. The combination of the car-axle D, driving-wheel P, the eccentric S, forming amovable axis for the wheel, the eccentric rod S and the steam-cylinder U, having its piston connected with said eccentric rod, the whole being constructed substantially as described, whereby the steam-piston operates to elevate and depress the auxiliary drifingwheel, as set forth.

6. The combination, with the power-receiving wheel R and power-transmitting wheel B, mounted upon a car-axle, of the interposed elastic medium Y, as and for the purpose described.

7. The combination, with a tram way-car, of the gear-wheels B B, pinions I), shafts b", swinging frames (J 0, power -transmission shafts E E, and engines A A, for operating the latter, substantially as and for the purpose de-' scribed.

S. The combination, with the axle D, auxiliary driving-wheel 1?, and steam-cylinder U, having thecock or Valve Q, of the foot-motion 1,2, 3, and 4, connected with the valve of the steam-cylinder, and constructed substantially as described, for throwing the auxiliary driving-wheel into action when thetram-wheels slip, as set forth.

' ROBERT UREUZBAUR.

Witnesses:

MICHAEL RYAN, BENJAMIN W. HOFFMAN. 

